Eight out of ten student workers are motivated by pay

More than half (52 percent) of the students who participate in full-time education and also enter the labour market get job opportunities through school cooperatives, almost a quarter (22 percent) come into direct contact with employers, and one in ten students work as trainees in the given workplace - according to the results of the Pannon-Work Zrt. A non-representative survey of a sample of 100 people showed that one in ten of them were employed in a Pannon-Work company. Among other things, the survey gives an idea of the motivational background of students who take up jobs and their attitudes towards school unions.

Money and other motivations

The overwhelming majority of students who take up a job - 84% - are motivated by the need to earn money. The fact that one in three students would be forced to interrupt their studies if they did not have access to money is a further indication of the importance of this opportunity. However, the survey also identified other drivers in addition to financial security. For two thirds of the students who participated in the survey and are entering the labour market, gaining experience in general and in several fields of work, and reflecting this experience in their CVs, is also an important factor. 56% of respondents would like to continue their career after graduation with the employer where they gained work experience as a student, which could also address the shortage of professionals in the workplace. A similar proportion of those for whom the love of work is the most important motivation for entering the labour market.

The research also looked at students' satisfaction with their jobs and working conditions. The vast majority - 89 per cent - expressed basic satisfaction with their current working conditions, nearly two-thirds found the tasks they were doing exciting, while 62 per cent were positive about the opportunities for professional development. At the same time, the level of dissatisfaction with salaries is very high, with 40 per cent of respondents rating their income situation negatively.

Perception of school unions

School unions play a significant role in helping students into the labour market, and students are aware of this. Almost 100 percent of the students surveyed had heard of the opportunities offered by school cooperatives, more than two thirds had taken up a job in this form and 52 percent were currently working in this scheme.

The perception of school cooperatives is also high, with 89 percent of respondents citing a positive factor and two-thirds a negative one. With regard to the latter, the highest proportion of respondents criticised the pay (38%), while the disproportionate level of the agency fee, the administrative work of school cooperatives and the scarcity of work were also cited as disadvantages of this form of employment. At the same time, 44% cited the fact that cooperation with school cooperatives relieved them of the burden of job search and administrative tasks and made it easier to find a permanent job as an advantage. Other positives include a wider range of jobs, legal security, flexibility and predictable income.

Balancing learning and work

The survey also shows that for the students surveyed, working with school cooperatives does not offer significant advantages in terms of gaining new experience, personal professional development and career development (3%), while the difficulty of reconciling study-related obligations and work was cited by only 1% of respondents, meaning that there are almost no obstacles to achieving a balance in this form of employment.